Funny Girl | Theatre Review

It's not often I have the urge to run to stage door to tell the cast just how bloody great a show was. Funny Girl was one of those shows.

Let's cut to the chase. Natasha Barnes gave the absolute best theatrical performance I have ever seen. The Stage were not kidding about when they said she would be a name to look out for when she understudied Sheridan Smith in London, and begruntled audience members were on their feet at the end - as we were at Norwich Theatre Royal.

The sound to her voice was astonishing, it was so powerful and beautiful, after singing Don't Rain on my Parade at the close of Act 1 the only thing stopping me jumping to my feet, was how horrifically British I am. Natasha's performance was both emotional and her comic timing incredibly effortless. Natasha Barnes is a force to be reckoned with.

This production as a whole was super slick. Funny Girl gave rural Norwich a taste of the glamour and bizarreness of the Ziegfeld Follies. They had chorus girls, in an army number, on pointe and tap dancing.

This will be one of the best shows you see all year. Whilst Funny Girl is set in the 1920's the show is still relevant to today's audiences, as well as offering escapism by the bucket, Fanny Brice looked like she wasn't going to get anywhere in show business, as she didn't have the long show girl legs or the typical beauty of the time. If you put your all into something, and make it your own, you can and will be successful in what you want to be.

Thanks for popping by!

xxx